Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - Wild Animals - Veterinary Medicine - Animals/Pets

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Expert Profile: Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

Expertise: I'm an evolutionary biologist with a passion for animals. Ask about natural history, behavior, ecology, evolution. PLEASE NOTE:

ORPHANED/INJURED WILDLIFE
Find a LICENSED WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR HERE. DO NOT FEED OR HANDLE THE ANIMAL. Well-meaning rescuers usually do more harm than good.

I.D. OF MYSTERY ANIMALS
Without geographic location, time of day and habitat, I can't help. A clear picture is always best.

I.D. OF MYSTERY ANIMAL SOUNDS
It's impossible for me to I.D. an animal call without hearing it myself.

COMPARATIVE STRENGTHS
I'm not an expert on comparative strengths of different animals (more complicated than you might think!) nor bite forces.

FIGHTING ANIMALS
I refuse to answer "Which of these two animals--X or X--would win in a fight?".

These hypothetical matchups range from impossible (Grizzly Bears and Gorillas don't even occupy the same continent.) to ridiculous (Someone asked me "Who would win a fight between a Great White Shark and a tiger?").

The vast majority of animals--even the fierce and powerful--are not as warlike as Homo sapiens, and it's childish to project our aggressiveness onto them.

Experience in the area
I have been the fortunate caregiver to a group of Black-tailed Jackrabbits rescued from the Miami International Airport, and not releasable in this area because they are not native. I also have rehabbed and released Eastern Cottontails, and am in contact with many very experienced wildlife rescuers who regularly handle injured or orphaned rabbits and hares.

Organizations
House Rabbit Society

Publications
Exotic DVM journal

Education/Credentials
I have a Ph.D. in Biology, with main areas of expertise in evolutionary biology, genetics, botany, and ecology.

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What do you like about this subject? I would like to promote the peaceful cohabitation of our planet with the wild things.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field? One can never stop learning until the wild things are gone. As a species, we seem to be bent on that.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know: Animals in the wild don't spend all their time out there looking for a fight (though from the number of questions I get about which animal would win in a fight, I can see there's a big misconception about this out there...). In fact, most animals will AVOID a fight, if at all possible.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject Human activity is resulting in the loss of a frightening number of wild species every week. This must stop!

Average Ratings
Prestige Points: 15880
Knowledge	9.86 Best of the best
Clarity of Response	9.88 Best of the best
Timeliness	9.86 Best of the best
Politeness	9.95 Best of the best
Number Of Questions Today (GMT time)		0
Max Questions to be Asked (Per Day, in GMT time)		5
Total Questions (since joining AllExperts)		1431

Recent Reviews from Users

Knowl	Clarity	Time	Politeness	Date
10	10	10	10	07/03/09
10	10	7	10	06/23/09
10	10	10	10	06/16/09
10	10	10	10	06/16/09
10	10	10	10	06/20/09

User Comments

Very helpful
(Kaylynn on 07/03/09)

thanks but it died a couple of days before i got this letter
(brian on 06/23/09)

Thank you very much for your response and the website to read up on cougars in the area. Laura
(Laura on 06/16/09)

Thanks for your help. We found a pic of it online & you're right - it's a coati. Don't know how it got to Michigan, but called to see if the zoo lost
(Linda on 06/16/09)

I very much appreciated your thoughtful response.
(Suanne Peterson on 06/20/09)

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Recent Answers from Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

2009-07-02 fire bellied toad strange behavior: Dear Kaylynn, If the grabber is holding on to the grabee just above the tops of the thighs, he might be a male trying to get the female to engage in the mating grip known as amplexus. You can see pictures...

2009-07-01 mystery eggs: Dear Greg, You don't say how big they are, but if they are about the size of a ping pong ball, and if you are anywhere near a body of water, my guess would be that these are turtle eggs. If you want...

2009-07-01 Pet Raccoon: Dear Bonnie, North Carolina has no statewide laws governing the possession of exotic wildlife as pets, and leaves this up to individual counties. However, raccoons are considered *native* wildlife...

2009-07-01 Another snouted animal in Massachusetss: Dear Greg, The only thing that sounds even remotely similar (but is rarely that big; they usually don't exceed 12 lbs.) is our old buddy the Virginia Opossum: http://www.pbase.com/downywp/image/60412101...

2009-06-11 baby robins disappeared from nest: Dear Kathy, It's more likely that the bird was a predator, and that he removed the baby birds. I can't quite identify the bird from your description, but it sounds like it might have been a thrasher...